<DrumBeat: January 11, 2009 The Oil Drum Peak Oil - Politics, Geopolitics, and Choke Points Video>

44 comments on Ambitious Solar Plans in France

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LeftCoastCanuck on January 11, 2009 - 12:19pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Can anyone comment on this? It seems highly dubious:

>> The most cost-effective panels convert about 10% of insolation into useful electricity, a factor that has remained unchanged for 10 years.

Scanning Wikipedia, installations were 2.8 GWpeak in 2007, so a total of 6 GWpeak by 2020 for France alone could be viable. It is only one country -- but that's also a decade away.

Furthermore, 54 million m2 is a huge area, but it's "only" 54 km2. France is 675,000 km2; Paris is 87 km2 (small by North American standards). Only a fraction of urban area is viable for rooftop panels, but it should be possible to find 54 km2 in France.

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On the other hand, the comment about the relative expense of nuclear vs. solar seems fair. McKinsey published some analyses of solar cost estimates which I'll need to dig up, but Climate Progress cited a study arguing total-cost-of-nuclear is in the 25-30 cent per kWh range.

http://climateprogress.org/2009/01/05/study-cost-risks-new-nuclear-power...

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fordprefect on January 11, 2009 - 2:12pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Nuclear opponents always look at 1970s us plant construction for costing data and neglect that "the nuclear" industry DIDN'T die in the rest of the world. World nuclear power plant construction tends to come in around $2000/kw for single-plant construction (no multiple unit discounts for design and parts), and is extremely well documented.

Beware of anyone with an axe to grind.

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razrmon on January 11, 2009 - 5:14pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Real estimates from investor owned utilities are coming in much higher than $2,000 per kw. See http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/11/Business/Price_triples_for_Pro.shtml.

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fordprefect on January 12, 2009 - 1:12am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf63.html

Tianwan-1 & 2 2 gwe nameplate pricetag US$3.2 billion onliine 2007
Lingao "They are reported to have cost $1800 per kilowatt"

So, long story short, it may just be that america is useless for new projects.

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AlanfromBigEasy on January 12, 2009 - 4:14am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

A bullet in the back of the head for those that criticize does wonders for cost control.

One cannot "cherry pick" one data point about the Cinese economy without considering the entirety of the society.

Alan

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Cyril R. on January 13, 2009 - 5:32am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Chinese nuclear plants may look cheap, yet chinese coal plants are much cheaper still, and easier & faster to build with a more mundane workforce. Chinese coal plants aren't exactly the cleanest, however. And I wouldn't trust these cost figures from China too much anyway. The subsidy regime is opaque and sometimes costs aren't counted in the same consistent manner between projects (or in different countries).

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44 comments on Ambitious Solar Plans in France

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